London 2 days / nights before Christmas with children musicals/ events - help!

[Rosa]

It looks as if when coming back to the Uk for Christmas we are going to stop in London with dds 8&6 . Its before Uk school holidays but hotels look pretty full ....Having a look and what to do - soooo much so thought i would ask the experts ! Trying to decide between Matilda, Cats or the Lion King . They have never seen a full musical before !
I have seen the Winter Wonderland in Hyde Park which looks great fun plus they will love the Christmas lights is it worth going to Harrods and Selfridges to see window displays ?
What else should we try and fit in Hamleys for last requests to FC ?
Happy to do an itin round them !!!! any ideas or suggestions welcome- Thank you

How about Charlie and the Chocolate Factory for the musical? All of your existing choices also sound great. Usually a few special Christmas shows on at the time - The Nutcracker is the obvious one.

Hamleys is good after dark so you get to see the Regent St/Oxford St lights too.

We saw Matilda last Christmas eve, and it was fantastic! I haven't seen the other two, but imagine cats is less appropriate for children than the lion king?

Apparently there is a Christmas market on the south bank.

There is ice skating at various locations - Somerset house, the natural history museum, Canary wharf.

Prepare for Hamleys to be beyond packed. We used to go in early November, and it was bad enough then!

Hopefully a few ideas.

Dd1 has seen both Matilda and Charlie and the CF, and didn't rate Charlie, but loved Matilda.

Thank you . haddn't even thought of Charlie DD1 has just started reading matilda in English ...however DD2 I am not so sure if she will like it. If there was a Disney princess musical we would be sorted !!!!!
Natural history was on the list if its a rainy day . We might try Hamleys early morning Just trying to find a reasonable priced hotel as well!

A friend who loves musicals said that Matilda was the best thing he'd ever seem

Oh great I'm going in December too for track cycling but going to sera show with DD one night if I can get tickets. Might try Matilda in that case.
We did Charlie and the CF last year and both really really enjoyed it.

Hyde Park winter festival. I'm going this year, finally. It looks wonderful, though I have been warned by friends that it is very busy.

Think it might be Matilda. ... We will be there the week before the schools break up in the UK and then heading Out of London on the saturday.. Dh wants to go on the London eye.. I am not so sure depends on the weather. There is soooooo much I would like them to see but we have to be realistic!

Whatever you can get tickets for at that time of year!

I can highly recommend the park plaza on Westminster bridge. Fabulous hotel with children as the rooms are like a mini suite.

Disney on ice in that case??

I had thought that about the show tickets but there asre still quite a few avaialble ...well enough to have a choice, Disney on ice looks fab but it starts on the 24th. Thanks for the hotel suggestion will have a look- that is actually the hardest part as many of the mid range hotels are full.

Ice skating? Somerset house is lovely, as is Tower of London.

how about breakfast / lunch with santa?. I have only found hamleys and its sold out on the days we are there

my girls really enjoyed wicked. if not then the lion king or Matilda but definitely not Cats - dreariest night of my life watching that! London eye, aquarium, bus tour around londons sights? boat trip? science museum and natural history are both brilliant but everywhere will be mobbed. suggest you try and find a hotel asap.

Thoroughly recommend Matilda. We have seenallthe other shows mentioned and you would not be disappointed by any of them. Cats is brilliant but not if you do not know the poems or the songs. The staging is wonderful and it was a highly original production when first in the West End. Also consider War Horse.

I agree that Harrod will look spectacular and it is worth going to Hyde Park. I would consider the Eye and the South Bank stalls. Skating is definitely worth doing but I never tookmy DCs to Hamleys. Could not stand the thought of it. You could look at Time Out and see if there are any special events for children when you are there.